Spring Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A butterfly begins its life as a tiny egg.
Every butterfly starts as a tiny egg laid on a leaf. The egg hatches into a caterpillar that will one day become a butterfly.
2. 8 butterflies plus 9 butterflies equals 17 butterflies.
8 + 9 = 17. You can think: 8 + 2 makes 10, then 7 more makes 17.
3. Butterflies drink nectar from flowers.
Nectar is a sugary liquid flowers make to attract butterflies and bees. Butterflies use their long tongue to sip it from inside the flower.
4. 18 caterpillars minus 9 caterpillars equals 9 caterpillars.
18 - 9 = 9. This is a doubles fact because 9 + 9 = 18, so half of 18 is 9.
5. Bees collect pollen and bring it back to their hive.
A hive is the home where a group of bees lives together. Bees use pollen and nectar they bring home to make honey.
6. 7 ladybugs plus 6 ladybugs equals 13 ladybugs.
7 + 6 = 13. You can split 6 into 3 + 3: add 3 to 7 to make 10, then add 3 more to get 13.
7. A caterpillar wraps itself in a chrysalis before becoming a butterfly.
A chrysalis is a hard shell a caterpillar forms around itself. Inside, its body changes into a butterfly.
8. 15 ants minus 7 ants equals 8 ants.
15 - 7 = 8. You can count back 7 from 15: 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.
9. Ladybugs help gardens by eating tiny bugs called aphids.
Aphids are small bugs that harm plants by sucking their juices. Ladybugs eat aphids, so gardeners love having ladybugs around.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each spring insect to what it does.
Bee
→ Makes honey in a hive
Carries food to its colony
Ladybug
→ Eats aphids from plants
Eats aphids from plants
Ant
→ Carries food to its colony
Spreads pollen between flowers
Butterfly
→ Spreads pollen between flowers
Makes honey in a hive
Each insect has a special job: bees make honey, ladybugs eat pesky aphids, ants work together to carry food home, and butterflies help flowers by moving pollen while they drink nectar.